Darren Soto endorsed by Latino Victory Fund

The Latino Victory Fund endorsed U.S. Rep. Darren Soto on Tuesday in his Democratic congressional primary against Alan Grayson.

The group, which supported Soto’s first congressional bid in 2016, has donated $5,000 to Soto’s campaign this year, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Soto, D-Kissimmee, the first person of Puerto Rican descent to represent Florida in Congress, said the Latino Victory Fund was “essential” in his first run for Congress in 2016, when the group contributed a $145,000 independent expenditure to his campaign.

“I'm thrilled to have them on the team again,” Soto said in a statement. “At a time when our community is under attack from a hateful, out-of-control President Trump, we have to stick together and fight back, and that's what [Latino Victory] is doing."

Grayson, 60, is counting on his national reputation as a liberal firebrand...

The Latino Victory statement takes some direct shots at Grayson, calling him a “disgraced former congressman” and “a polarizing figure.’’

“Grayson ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016 but failed to secure the support of his fellow Democrats,” Latino Victory said. “He is now seeking to represent a district where he no longer resides.”

Grayson responded, “If the Latino Victory Fund actually wants to improve the lives of Latinos suffering under the Trump regime, then perhaps it should be concentrating on helping the Democrats win the House in November.”